


Guide

by Miss_TC_Nova



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Family Fluff, Grandpa Brain (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27465772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_TC_Nova/pseuds/Miss_TC_Nova
Summary: Grandpa Brain comes to visit Eraqus who already has guests over.
Relationships: Brain & Eraqus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Guide

“The darkness will not win!” Wooden weapons clash.

The boy with slate colored hair hits back. “Hiya!”

While the defender stumbles back, he recovers quickly. He prepares to rejoin the fight but movement in the window catches his eye. There’s someone in his house—someone he recognizes.

An enormous gasp leaves his mouth, startling his opponent. His weapon falls into the grass as the boy races for the backdoor. Little feet patter across the floor, rushing for the visitor.

“Grandpa!”

Granite eyes light up. “There’s my little sunshine!” Reaching down, he scoops up the giggling child who immediately reaches for that worn hat. “What have you been up to today?” he asks, straightening the headwear on the little boy’s head.

“Me and my friends were playing Keyblade War but I saw you in the window!” he happily states, pointing out the open backdoor.

“Friends, huh?”

“Yeah! And—”

“Eraqus!” A tiny, little blonde pokes her head inside.

“Come back! We need you to make the teams even!” A white-haired boy runs in, skidding to a halt when he sees the stranger.

Another girl, this one with silver hair and golden eyes, jumps in. “Are you comin’ or not?!”

The enemy from earlier spots Eraqus in his grandfather’s arms and gapes. “M-M-Master Brain!”

A third boy tilts his head of red hair, not very impressed at all. “Hermod, are you sure? He doesn’t look like a master to me.”

Grandpa simply chuckles but Eraqus is not having his friend’s disrespect. “Yes he does, Bragi! This is my grandpa!”

“Just because he’s your grandpa doesn’t mean he’s Master Brain,” Bragi huffs, still eyeing the man suspiciously.

“You pea-brain,” the silver-haired girl snaps. “Teacher told us Eraqus is the grandson of Master Brain. So if that’s Eraqus’s grandpa, then that’s Master Brain.”

His amber eyes widen. “Oh…”

Hermod pushes a sheepish Bragi closer. “Say you’re sorry,” he whispers not so subtly.

Now before a legendary master, the kid doesn’t seem so confident. “S-Sorry, sir.”

Grandpa laughs, letting his grandson slip to the floor. “Don’t worry about it, kid; I’m not working right now. I just came to visit Eraqus, but I guess he’s already got visitors today.”

If Eraqus had to pick his favorite person in the whole world, it would be his grandfather. He loves his mother and father but not the same way he loves this man. “But you can stay, right?” he begs, tugging on the jacket. “I want you to meet my friends!”

“You do, huh?”

Frantic nodding messes the wavy hair. He’d do anything to spend time with Grandpa and will take every chance given to show him off—not because he’s Master Brain, but because Grandpa is the best.

“Alright. Do you want to introduce me then?” Grandpa says with a smile.

His excitement is so great, his words run together in his already small mouth. “This is Bragi and Hermod and Urd and Baldr and Vor and they’re all in my class!”

Children wave or comment at the mention of their names and then it’s Grandpa’s turn. “It’s nice to meet you all. I’m Brain. So you all want to be keyblade warriors, huh?”

Baldr is the first to voice their dreams. “Yeah!”

“We’re gonna be the best!” Urd agrees.

“Oh ho? Even better than me?”

Immediately, the little girl’s confidence falters into fear. “N-No sir! Never better than you!”

A grunt escapes the man as he sits himself on the floor among the kids. “Now that’s not the right answer.” She appears even more distraught. “You should always aspire to be better than the generations that came before. If each and every one of you becomes better warriors than I ever was, then I know the future will be in good hands. So go ahead, be the best, and don’t stop until you are.”

Urd’s frown turns into a beaming smile and the others start to catch her elation too.

“Hey, do you have any cool stories about the Keyblade War?” Bragi asks, having recovered from his blunder as if it never happened.

“Mmm, no, but I do have a great story about this giant Heartless that tried to destroy my favorite bakery.”

Eraqus exclaims, “The one you beat while eating a tart?!”

“Yes, that one.”

“That one’s my favorite!” The kid excitedly sits down, staring up at his grandfather, one hundred percent ready to listen to another telling of his favorite story. Eraqus is an excitable, impatient child but when it comes to his grandfather, he would happily listen to the same story over and over again. Not only is Grandpa his biggest hero, but the relationship he has with his grandfather is the relationship he wishes he shared with his parents.

The gaggle of children plop on the ground while Grandpa tells his silly tale of fending off a ferocious monster. Before long, the storyteller’s got every one of the rambunctious toddlers hanging on his every word, sparing time to answer excellent questions the curious come up with. Their little expressive faces show every bit of awe and delight as they listen, all the while Eraqus radiates pride.

“Wait, how did you pay for the tarts if Master Lauriam took your wallet?” Urd asks, ever the perceptive one.

Hesitation. “Uh…Well…”

Vor gasps, “Master Brain! Did you steal them?!”

“No! Nooooo!” Grandpa replies hastily. A warning finger points at them. “Stealing is bad and you should not steal from other people.”

Eraqus tilts his head. “But didn’t you steal Master Ephemer’s coffee?”

“No! I did not steal the coffee and when the fight was over, I made Lauriam pay for the tarts since he took my wallet!”

“Did he steal it?” Baldr asks.

The master seems to contemplate this new question. “…Yes. And stealing is bad.”

His grandson decides it’s time for a different topic. “Will you tell us the story about you and Master Skuld and the giant trickster?”

“You mean the Trickmaster.”

“Yeah!”

A hand raises. “What’s a Trickmaster?” questions Hermod.

“Well it’s this really tall—”

“Kids.” The interruption comes from the hall where Eraqus’s mother and two more women stand. “Vor, Baldr, your moms are here to pick you up.”

“Aww!” the pair complain.

Baldr protests, “But Master Brain was about to tell us about the Trickmaster!”

“Yeah!” agrees Vor.

“All you munchkins better listen to your mothers,” Grandpa warns them. “They’re doing their best to make sure you grow big and strong.”

“Yes Master Brain,” they all drone, each of them having been taught to respect their elders. The unfortunate two scurry off to their mothers who say something before they come running back.

“Thank you for talking to us.” Vor gives him a bow.

Baldr follows her example. “Thank you, Master Brain.”

“No problem.”

As fantastic fables entertain those remaining, the toddlers are taken away, one by one, by parents until it’s just grandfather and grandson.

“You got some exciting friends, kid,” Grandpa says, watching Eraqus return from bidding Urd goodbye. 

“Yeah. They’re all really cool and they don’t treat me funny.”

Grandpa nods, pushing himself off the floor. Eraqus can see something thrilling in those eyes. “That’s good. Now, you’ve got three seconds to run before I TICKLE YOU!”

The boy takes off yelling with the man close behind. Shouting, a foreign phenomenon to the home, fills the silence while the pair rushes around in their game. Their antics lead them to Eraqus’s room where there’s running, roughhousing, mock sword fighting, and more fun than the kid has had since Grandpa’s last visit. This is his best friend who knows all his secrets because Eraqus isn’t afraid to tell him everything; even when he knows he’s done something wrong, he knows that Grandpa may scold him but will still be there to help him learn from his mistake. This is what every kid needs and this is the relationship he gets jealous of when he sees his friends with their parents: one full of respect, freedom, and love.

“Dad.” Grandpa freezes, child above his head, looking to the doorway where his daughter looks on. “Don’t you have a meeting with the council?”

Arms lower to drop the boy onto his bed. “Oh, right. Man, I forgot about that.”

“I noticed,” she replies bluntly. “And Eraqus needs to work on his studies before he goes to bed.”

Said child groans, tugging at Grandpa’s jacket, “Aww, do you have to go?”

The woman opens her mouth to retort, but the man waves her off and she leaves them be. “Sorry kiddo. People are counting on me to make choices to take care of them. Plus, you heard your mom, you got studies to do.” Era gives a little pout and the man ruffles his grandson’s black hair. “Look, the next time I come visit, if your mom tells me you’ve been good, I’ll take you to see the citadel.”

Oh he’s been dying to see that. “Where the keyblade warriors train?!”

Grandpa grins. “That’s the one. But like I said, you gotta behave and do your studies like your mom asks.” A hand extends to the boy. “Deal?”

The kid puts on a show of considering the offer but slaps his little hand into his elder’s. “Deal!”

The stolen hat is taken, plopped back onto the owner’s head while they shake hands. “Alrighty then.” A warm, loving expression softens Brain’s smile. “You’re gonna be a great warrior someday, kid, better than me.”

“You think so?”

“‘Course I do. Always remember, may your heart be your guiding key.”

~~~~~

Warm sunlight beats down on the bright world. Despite its dreary nature, the cemetery, too, is actually quite bright. The youth in white strides along the stone pathway, flowers in hand.

Months ago, he stood in this very vicinity, in the deafening rain, trapped in a bubble of mourning. He cried and screamed and even blew up at the parents he’d never before disrespected. They didn’t understand; they still don’t but the whole thing has managed to blow over. Friends, acquaintances, and even his Master came with condolences, receiving a meager ‘thank you’ in return. Nothing made him feel better and he just couldn’t come to terms with the fact that such a powerful, legendary master—that his grandfather—was dead.

And then he found the words carved into the headstone: _“May your heart be your guiding key.”_

Even now, those words echo in Grandpa’s voice—the mantra he told the boy at least every time they parted ways. Those were his last words to Eraqus.

Grandpa was the only person who seemed to understand and acknowledge his struggles. The pressure of nobility and responsibility often pressed down on Eraqus but somehow, his grandfather always gave him the support and courage he needed to endure those things. In the face of all his anxieties, it was always his grandfather reaching back to lead him through. Brain was everything Eraqus needed in his life. Even now, in death, he’s still managed to leave his grandson with the strength he needs to move forward.

It’s because of these words that Eraqus became something his parents aren’t exactly proud of. He began shirking his studies and speaking his mind no matter the company—really the only thing that keeps them off his back is the fact that he’s still a pretty damn good student. Just because he’s happy doesn’t mean he can let his grandpa’s faith go to waste; he’s supposed to become a great warrior after all. But, following his grandfather’s words, Eraqus started becoming the person he wanted to be instead of the person he was expected to be.

The boy sits down, resting the bouquet before the stone. From his pocket, he also presents a talisman—the mark of keyblade wielders, even those in training—which he finally earned today.

“There’s so many things I want to tell you.” He expected the tears, but even so, he smiles. “But before I get to all that, I have to say thank you.” The sleeve of his haori drags across his face. “Thanks for guiding me, Grandpa.”


End file.
